Advent 4. Beloved.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ~ Luke 2:8-10

This Advent series follows the course of four mystical appearings. Angels. Messengers. Divine encounters with normal people who responded in hope…and changed the story.

The dilemma. When I think about this band of sheep-herders being out at night, I feel a little sorry for them: It’s night time, but instead of a warm, comfortable home, they are bedding down in a field on a blanket. In my imagination, they are bored out of their minds and pass the time by joking around and telling stories. But on a deeper level, I wonder if they feel anonymous. Like we feel sometimes. Like we’re just doing a job to take home a paycheck—a job that many others could do—without any sense of personal passion or mission around it. Sometimes that’s just where life is.

The angel. So into that hum-drum, predictable, unstimulating evening, whoa… an overwhelming invasion from heaven. A terrifying light, a mind-blowing announcement, and then a whole company of singing angels. Wouldn’t you like to have heard that concert? Joy, peace, favor—yeah, this sounds like good news. The best of news actually. Their hearts’ greatest desires in a time of great uncertainty and insecurity.

The coming. I can’t help but think that these shepherds left that field fundamentally changed on the inside. No longer were they anonymous, extraneous, disposable. An angel, heck, a whole legion of angels, had made an appearance just for their benefit. They really were favored! I think that each of them felt truly seen in that moment—seen, known, and loved. And isn’t that what we truly long for, all of us?

Bring this message into your world now. Is there any sense in which you feel anonymous? Doesn’t your heart yearn to feel personally sought out, significant, and beloved? And wouldn’t that be God’s heart for you today? To reassure you that you are seen, you matter, you have a vital part in heaven’s story being played out on earth.

This is Advent. This is God’s kingdom coming into our hearts and our world. I hope you can receive that today.